I taught for 33 years and I have my MST in the teaching of Social Studies. In 1988, I was awarded the Elementary Social Studies Classroom Teacher of the Year Award from both the New York State Council for the Social Studies and the National Council for the Social Studies. My shop contains mostly social studies materials including web quests, and reader's theater scripts on famous people in history, science and literature.
I taught for 33 years and I have my MST in the teaching of Social Studies. In 1988, I was awarded the Elementary Social Studies Classroom Teacher of the Year Award from both the New York State Council for the Social Studies and the National Council for the Social Studies. My shop contains mostly social studies materials including web quests, and reader's theater scripts on famous people in history, science and literature.
Part of my Ms. Bie Ografee Talk Show Series. This biographical Reader’s Theater Script is on John Chapman, better remembered as Johnny Appleseed. Chapman said of himself,“by occupation,(I was) a gatherer and planter of apple seeds”. This pioneer nurseryman helped to introduce apple trees to Indiana, Illinois, Ohio and Pennsylvania. Unlike many people, John Chapman was an American hero, DURING his lifetime. He is know for his kindness toward other people and all living creatures, his efforts in conservation and the many apple trees he started during his life.
There area 8 Audience Questioners in the complete resource. There are 12 Did You Know? fun facts about apples, 9 comprehension questions, a teacher page with 9 extension activities, the key and additional links of interest.
Great for a Friday biography day, during a study on pioneers or a unit on apples!
Johnny Appleseed Day is celebrated : March 11th and/or September 26th.
Other plays in the Ms. Bie Ografee’s Talk Show Series: Dr. Seuss, Harriet Tubman, Rosa Parks, Bessie Coleman Sacagawea, George Washington Carver, Thomas Edison, Martin Luther King, Sequoia, Michelangelo, DaVinci, Tuskegee Airmen, Susan B. Anthony, Marco Polo, Christopher Columbus, an interview with a groundhog, an interview with a leprechaun, an interview with Simon, victim of the Black Death, An Interview with Agent 355, a female agent in the Culper Spy Ring(Revolutionary War), Interview with a 49er from the California Gold Rush , Albert Einstein, Rachel Carson, Katherine Johnson and more.
Gail Hennessey
/ Check out my website for teachers/kids for lots of geography activities, short reads, factoids on different topics, news, career surveys, bell ringers and more.
Martin Luther King Jr. A Biographical Play: Learn about this important civil rights leader who worked for equality in non-violent ways. Martin Luther King envisioned a world where the color of your skin did not determine a person’s value and civil rights! He was also a excellent orator whose " I Have a Dream Speech" is probably his most famous. Using this Reader’s Theater Script, part of my Ms. Bie Ografee Talk Show series of plays, your students will have fun acting out the parts and learning about the life of Martin Luther King, as they pretend to be in the audience of Ms. Bie Ografee’s Talk Show. There are 10 audience informational questioners, a Did You Know? section of additional facts, comprehension questions, a teacher page with extension questions, vocabulary(which are highlighted in the play), additional links and the key.
I also have similar plays on Harriet Tubman, George Washington Carver, the Tuskegee Airmen, Rosa Parks and Bessie Coleman.
I have many other plays,too, including Sacagawea, Sequoia, Thomas Edison,Michelangelo, DaVinci, Susan B. Anthony, Simon: Victim of the Black Death, McSean: a Leprechaun, Interview with a Groundhog,Elizabeth Blackwell, Revolutionary War Female Spy, California Gold Rush Prospector and more.
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Gail Hennessey
A Biologist and marine zoologist, Carson’s books shared her love of nature, especially the ocean and its inhabitants. Her book, Silent Spring, sparked concern in how chemical pesticides were harming our environment. Carson helped to start the environmental movement in our country, which led to the creation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. This Reader’s Theater Script could be used as a STEM biography any time of year or especially during the time of Earth Day.
Part of my Ms. Bie Ografee Talk Show Series, students will be introduced to the life of Charles Dickens, one of the most famous writers of all time. There are 11 questioners in the play as well as a Did You Know? section of fun facts, comprehension questions and a teacher page with extension activities, additional links and the key. Great for a unit of study on Charles Dickens, at Christmas Time when you may be covering A Christmas Carol or as a famous biography activity.
I also have an internet activity on Charles Dickens.
A bundle of six Reader’s Theater Scripts from my Ms. Bie Ografee Talk Show Series. The six scientists in this bundle include:
1. Elizabeth Blackwell
2. Thomas Edison
3. George Washington Carver(also in my African American Trailblazer bundle)
4. Jacques Cousteau
5. Marie Curie
6. Katherine Johnson(currently in the news as she is highlighted in the movie,“Hidden Figures”)
Use these fun/informative STEM biographical plays during a unit of study in science, for Women’s History Month, Black History Month, for a Friday Biographical person day or before a vacation.
The format involves an appearance on Ms. Bie Ografee’s Talk Show where audience questioners ask the guest questions about their life and contributions to science. It’s a great opportunity to have students role-play and show their acting skills.
Each play is also available for purchase separately.
NEW!!! Use this play to introduce students to the life of English Scientist, Sir Isaac Newton. Great, too, for a review activity if you are doing a unit of study on gravity, motion or prisms.
Part of my Ms. Bie Ografee Talk Show Series of plays, Sir Isaac Newton is a guest on Ms. Bie Ografee’s Talk Show. Newton shares information about his life and contributions he made in science with her studio audience who ask questions which he answers.
I always include questions about a “guest’s” childhood and schooling. I feel it is important to see all famous people were kids,too, with many of the same issues that students today may be confronting. I also like kids to see that our past shapes our future! There is a Did You Know? section of fun facts, reading comprehension questions and a teacher section with lots of extension activities, links and the key.
Other plays in the Ms. Bie Ografee’s Talk Show Series: The Constitution(A Visit with James Madison, “Father of the Constitution”),A Visit with Lewis and Clark, A Visit with Josh Crabtree, A Tory during the American Revolutionary War, Charles Dickens, Johnny Appleseed, Albert Einstein, Harriet Tubman, Rosa Parks, Bessie Coleman Sacagawea, George Washington Carver, Thomas Edison, Martin Luther King, Sequoia, Michelangelo, DaVinci, Tuskegee Airmen, Susan B. Anthony, Marco Polo, Christopher Columbus, an interview with a groundhog, an interview with a leprechaun, an interview with Simon, victim of the Black Death, An Interview with Agent 355, a female agent in the Culper Spy Ring(Revolutionary War), Interview with a 49er from the California Gold Rush , Albert Einstein, Rachel Carson, Katherine Johnson and more.
Introduce students to the Pacific island of Guam, a U.S. Territory.
There are 9 Webquestions, a Did You Know? fact section and a Teacher Page with extension activities and keys to the web quest and key to the Comprehension questions.
The founding fathers stated in the Constitution that the President "shall from time to time give to Congress information of the State of the Union and recommend to their Consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient.” It wasn’t spelled out HOW the president was to do this or even when such an update should be given. The State of the Union Address has taken many forms since the birth of our nation. It has come to be an annual speech given by the President of the United States and is done in the month of January. In 2018, the address will be given on January 30th. Learn about the history of the State of the Union Address with this internet activity so you can WOW your friends with all you know about the history of this yearly event!
There are 10 web questions, 9 Did You Know? Facts, 6 comprehension questions, a student page(handout to give for homework or extra credit for the night of the State of the Union Address), a teacher page with a couple of extension activities and the key to both the web quest and the comprehension questions.
The Arctic!Geographical web quest which introduces kids to the region of the Earth known as the Arctic. There are 14 web quests(with lots of information in the questions), Did You Know? facts, comprehension questions(including several “thought question”), a teacher page with a number of extension activities, additional links and key.Great for a Friday activity, before a vacation, or when you are looking for a geography resource.
Also check out my ANTARCTIC resource: Geographical web quest which introduces kids to the continent of Antarctica. There are 10 web quests(with lots of information in the questions), 14 Did You Know? facts, comprehension questions(including several “thought question”), a teacher page with a number of extension activities, additional links and key.Great for a Friday activity, before a vacation, or when you are looking for a geography resource.
Introduce students to the country of Japan with this reading passage. It also includes several comprehension questions, a map activity and a Teacher page with extension activities and additional links.
Using PRIMARY Sources in the Classroom. A DBQ activity uses primary sources. Sources can include diaries,posters, music, news articles from the time, anything written by those who participated in or witnessed an event in history. Students review the given documents and use many cognitive skills in processing what they see and read. After gathering information using the documents, students develop an essay answering a question.
The topic of this Primary Source(DBQ )is Life of a Japanese-American Child Living in an Internment Camp during World War 2.
A teacher page includes the Key,additional links and suggestions for a rubric to grade the DBQ.
This resource could also be used as a web quest.
Check out my other DBQ Activity: Life on the Homefront During WW2:
Life on the Homefront during WW2
Want a fun activity to review vocabulary terms for a unit of study on the Middle Ages?Looking for an enrichment activity in history? Try my Medieval Puzzler: Secret Message Review Activity. The activity involves students working individually or in groups to review vocabulary terms connected with Medieval Times. Then,a following direction activity is next where students place letters from the different terms into boxes found at the end of the activity page. Once all the boxes are filled, a “secret message” about the Middle Ages is revealed! The teacher page includes additional information to share about the “secret message”. It’s a fun way to reinforce important vocabulary for a unit of study on the Middle Ages! If you prefer to offer a vocabulary box, I have included this as well.
Need a quick fun Friday(or day before a vacation activity)? Teaching American History and want to introduce your students to First Ladies of the United States? Try this fun and information play based on the Mark Goodson Production To Tell the Truth Game Show on Lady Bird Johnson. To Tell the Truth was a popular television show which has returned with host Anthony Anderson(of Blackish). Three guests all claim to be the real guest being interviewed by a panel. The real guest must tell the truth where the other impostors do not have to do so. Kids must be “truth detectives” to determine just who is the REAL Lady Bird Johnson.
Students in grades 4 and up will have fun acting out their parts and learning some interesting facts about First Lady Lady Bird Johnson,called one of Washington’s first environmentalists! Discussion questions,comprehension questions and activities are also included.
On February 28, 1803, President Thomas Jefferson got approval by Congress for an expedition to explore the lands of the Louisiana Purchase. Meriwether Lewis and William Clark were asked by President Thomas Jefferson to led the expedition. On May 14, 1804, the expedition called, the Corps of Discovery began. They would return home two years later, in 1806. The expedition helped to open up the west for expansion by people seeking a better life.
You may also be interested in my Lewis and Clark Expedition Webquest:
Part of my Ms. Bie Ografee Talk Show Series of plays, Lewis Meriwether and William Clark are guests on Ms. Bie Ografee’s Talk Show. They share information about their expedition to explore the Louisiana Territory. There is a Did You Know? section of fun facts, reading comprehension questions and a teacher section with lots of extension activities, links and the key.
Want a fun activity to review vocabulary terms for a unit on the Renaissance? Looking for an enrichment activity in history? Try my Renaissance Secret Message Review activity. The activity involves students working individually or in groups to review vocabulary terms/famous people of the Renaissance. Then,a following direction activity is next where students place letters from the different terms into boxes found at the end of the activity page. Once all the boxes are filled, a “secret message” about the Renaissance is revealed! The teacher page includes additional information to share about the “secret message”.
Want a fun activity to review vocabulary terms for a unit on ancient ancient Mesopotamia? Looking for an enrichment activity in history? Try my Ancient Mesopotamia Puzzler activity. The activity involves students working individually or in groups to review vocabulary terms on Mesopotamia. Then,a following direction activity is next where students place letters from the different terms into boxes found at the end of the activity page. Once all the boxes are filled, a “secret message” about Mesopotamia is revealed! The teacher page includes additional information to share about the “secret message”. If you prefer to offer a vocabulary box, I have included this as well.
I also have a unit of study on Mesopotamia with notes , activities and resources.
I also have a reading on Hammurabi.
Want a fun activity to review vocabulary terms for a unit on ancient Greece? Looking for an enrichment activity in history? Try my Ancient Greek Secret Message activity. The activity involves students working individually or in groups to review vocabulary terms on the Ancient Greeks. Then,a following direction activity is next where students place letters from the different terms into boxes found at the end of the activity page. Once all the boxes are filled, a “secret message” about the ancient Greeks is revealed! The teacher page includes additional information to share about the “secret message”. It’s a fun way to reinforce important vocabulary for a unit of study on the Greeks! If you prefer to offer a vocabulary box, I have included this as well.
Teaching American History and want to introduce your students to First Ladies of the United States? Try this fun and information play based on the Mark Goodson Production To Tell the Truth Game Show on Mary Todd Lincoln. To Tell the Truth was a popular television show which has returned with host Anthony Anderson(of Blackish). Three guests all claim to be the real guest being interviewed by a panel. The real guest must tell the truth where the other impostors do not have to do so. Kids must be “truth detectives” to determine just who is the REAL Mary Todd Lincoln.
Students in grades 4 and up will have fun acting out their parts and learning some interesting facts about First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln. Discussion questions,comprehension questions and activities are also included.
Want a fun activity to review vocabulary terms for a unit on ancient Phoenicians? Looking for an enrichment activity in history? Try my Ancient Phoenician Secret Message activity. The activity involves students working individually or in groups to review vocabulary terms on the Phoenicians. Then,a following direction activity is next where students place letters from the different terms into boxes found at the end of the activity page. Once all the boxes are filled, a “secret message” about the Phoenicians is revealed! The teacher page includes additional information to share about the “secret message”. If you prefer to offer a vocabulary box, I have included this as well.
I also have a unit of study on the “Purple People”.
I have a fun activity on all things PURPLE.
Learn about the Crusades with this fun and informative play. Students will have fun acting out the different parts, especially those of Sir Bartholomew. There are 10 audience questioners. Part of my Ms. Bie Ografee Talk Show Series, the format is that of a talk show host with a studio audience that ask Ms. Bie Ografee’s guest questions about the time period. Included: cause, different crusades(ie: People’s Crusade, Children’s Crusade and the Third Crusade) and the important results of this period in history. There is a DiD You Know? fun facts,comprehension questions, a teacher section with extension activities and links I thought might be of interest to the teacher. There is also a key to the comprehension questions.